UW-P Alumni

Call Me Bananas

Today was the kick off for the Ranger Wellness Challenge!  I signed up! 

I got weighed and measured and determined my BMI and body fat.  Curtis Bickham '98 (but that's not Curtis in the picture...forgot to get his name!) assured me that I was in a sort of 'average'-ish area.  He's too kind!  Seriously, I'm signing up for the Wellness Challenge just to get a few things back in alignment and to be proactive with my health!  There was this fancy machine that everyone was calling the 'vegetable consumption measuring machine' but the people operating it explained it much better and it had to do with also checking overall antioxident levels (yes, even with all of my Green tea consumption, I still need to look at the big picture!) and how increasing them only helps reduce the risk factors associated with things like cancer and stroke...which I'm already in a higher risk group for!  Time to start eating more veggies!...and bananas!

Can't really think of a good reason not to do the wellness challenge, so with the goal of overall wellness (not just physical!) and of beating the pants off my friends who are also doing The Challenge, I'm off to spend some time on my elliptical machine!

*You also noticed my Fall Fest attire today, right?  Check out the schedule of events...lots of fun during the Week of Wonka!  

Planet Parkside

Viva Las Vegas!  That's what I was saying for the past four days, since I got spontaneously whisked away for a weekend in that crazy town!  While I didn't have any Ranger sitings (aside from traveling with an alumnus and two friends who each spent a year at UW-P!) I did manage to get the requisite photo for our traveling collection!

A few of our other alumni friends have been traveling and submitted these photos:

Giovanni (John) Renzoni '79 and Giacomo (Jim) Kramer '79/MBA'90 traveled to Italy this summer.  Here, they are in the Roman Coliseum and at the Leaning Tower.

Rachel Scheidegger '03 traveled to our nation's capital and got a photo in front of the White House!  

As always, I'm still looking for Your travel or long distance photos!  Send them in, we want to see where in the world you are!

I'm Not Just a Member of the Alumni Association....I also Work Here!

Without doing extensive research, I think it's safe to say that the biggest and longest lasting alumni chapter at UW-P is the Parkside Employee Alumni Group.  This group was established in 2002 and is going strong. 

Did you know there are almost 150 employees at UW-P who are alumni!

Today was the PEAG Annual Luncheon.  It's a chance for employee alumni to gather and the chairperson of the group, Peggy Karls ‘04, gives a review of the past year's activities.  It was also fun to go around and introduce ourselves with our graduation year, major, where we work/ed and for how long.  I’m a pretty good historian of our alumni, but I learned some interesting new information today!

Check out the scrapbook to see who was there (I only missed a handful of people with the camera!).  You'll have to click on some of the photos as my horizontal pics didn't fit in the little square boxes.  You’ can also see that this was one of my favorite menus!  Mashed Potato bar!  Yay!  We’ve capped off the meal with the dessert we’ll be seeing a lot this year…Birthday Cake!

UW-P Gear Head?

LOOK at this great stuff I just got!

Some of you know I’m a sucker for fleece!  Well, I finally broke down and got the latest one at the bookstore!    There was a coupon in the Ranger News this week (some of you also know I’m a sucker for coupons!) which propelled me into the store.  While I was there, I stumbled upon THIS Awesome bag! 

You’ve gotta check this stuff out.  Our new bookstore has a ton of great UW-P merchandise.  It’s all so new and different.

ANOTHER great excuse to visit campus.  Right now, they’re still in the same place you remember them (well, circa 1993 or so!)…Wyllie Hall, D1 level.  They’re open Monday through Thursday 8:30a-6:00p, Friday 8:30-4:00 and SATURDAY 11:00a-3:00p.

That coupon I mentioned is in this week’s Ranger News (available until Monday! And there’s a couple news stands within eye shot of the bookstore!).  The coupon is valid until September 23!

If you want to shop in your PJs, then go to their website...there's a wide selection there (but you can't use the coupon!)   http://www.uwpbookstore.com

Happy Shopping!

9/11

I think we all take our moment of pause on this day...the numbers just stand out and remind us...hard to forget or brush it aside.  I was revisiting That Day only in my own thoughts and within a couple conversations, but I just had a meeting over at Tallent Hall and on my departure and return had noticed two different students sitting on the benches under our 9/11 Remembrance Tree.  Not sure if it was purposeful.  Inthe background I could see the new Union (which is the place...but now sort if isn't!...where I was on 9/11/2001), so...

This is how I heard the news:

My husband, Mike, called me at my office in Student Activities/Union 209 and told me an airplane hit the World Trade Center.  I didn't really know what to make of that...especially since there was an incident about a week prior where a teenager in Florida took a small plane and brushed a building or something.  I went down to the TV lounge on the L1 to see what the news was showing. 

Whoa!

Later that afternoon there was a large group gathering in the Den glued to the big screen TV to keep up with the reports.

On a day like today, where we all reflect a little, I'm reminded of the different ways in which UW-P is special to me.   While I'm sad that exact place in my memory is gone (merely for the sentimental reasons) I'm glad that something new is in it's place...much like what has become of the location where the WTC once stood.  We can all hold on to the past and the memories, but have hope for what results from that in the future.

Happy Trails

Have you seen it?  That great trail running along Highway E that connects the Bike Trail, through the UW-P campus, into Petrifying Springs park.  It's Fabulous and people are already 'pounding the pavement' all the time.  In fact, I have yet to drive by and Not see Someone on it!

Ultimately, this trail is an access route for walkers, runners and bicyclists connecting UW-P with Carthage College and Gateway Technical College....and beyond.  So, it may be named the 'Academic Trail'.  Today, there was a brief ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate this project that was born some seven years ago.  County Executive Jim Kreuser '83/MPA'86 and Chancellor Earns did the honors.

 

I had a bird's eye view of the occasion...OK, well, I'm holding the other end of the ribbon!

Think Pink

Komen on the Go made a stop at UW-P today! 

The goal:  Infiltrate. Educate. Elevate.  The Komen On the Go™ mobile experience is bringing that message to communities across the country.  The signature pink vehicles are teaching people everywhere to take charge of their breast health and empowering participants to share information with friends and join the breast cancer movement.  This was the only stop in Wisconsin on their busy schedule.  Special thanks to RN Sandy at Student Health & Counseling for bringing them here!

I got to spend a little time encouraging students to stop by and check it out, and I gave them a pink ribbon sticker as a reminder!  It was an eye-catching attraction for sure and I hope the content had an impact on the campus as well! 

It stands as a reminder that we all need to be diligent in taking care of ourselves! 

A Birthday Party!

The Ice Cream Social was a little more special (specialer?) this semester.  It was the kick-off to the 40th Anniversary of UW-P! We were greeted by Interim Chancellor Earns and then the Voices of Parkside led us in a round of the Happy Birthday song!  Forty candles were blown out and then we got to 'have our cake and eat it too' (or, like me, had my cake and ATE TWO!).  Then, Damian Evans served up my bowl of chocolate ice cream.  Now that's a great lunch! 

This is always a great opportunity to catch up with students, staff and faculty all converged in Main Place!  There is a wonderful historical display of pictures that Nick and Melissa in archives put together.  We're planning to have it around often and it will make long-term appearances in the Wyllie concourse.  There is a PowerPoint slide show as well.  I hope you'll get a chance to see them at some time.

*These are my delightful pictures!  If you'd like to see some additional pics (although I can't promise they're this excellent) go to Ms. Moneypenny's blog! 

Welcome Back!

Wow!  I guess I took a little hiatus there!

Well, it's clear...we're back in 'business' at UW-P!  Today isn't actually the first day of classes, but it is the first day for the incoming students.  This day is now called Ranger Welcome and it's a day packed with activities to get our first year students off to a great start!

Tomorrow, the Real fun begins!  I'm already committed to taking that last spot in the parking lot, not only for the benefit of a student needing a closer space, but also to stretch my legs!  I've also deemed myself the unofficial welcoming committee.  It reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Elaine suggested that everyone in New York wear nametags.  Well, for the record, I have mine on...affixed to my Parkside gear, I might add!  I will greet everyone in my path (even those of us staff members who have been here all summer and aren't really 'back' from anything or anywhere!) and am always happy to answer a question or give directions!

I say it all the time, but I still love being on that calendar!  Now I even get to relive school through my first grader.  He'll never be as excited as me about shopping for school supplies, but that's OK...he lets me enjoy the moment.  Besides, it allows him to focus on the other aspects of being six!  For those of you well out of the academic cycle, take a moment to reflect on school days (not even college days necessarily)...spiffy new supplies and all the excitement!  OK, think about UW-P days too....the new syllabi's!  Color coding your calendar for your classes.  All those good intentions of reading ahead and not cramming for exams or doing papers at the last minute (or, was that just me?).  Ah, it was fun, but I like the part about not having 'homework' any more! 

Many of you have great memories of UW-P and college...I know, because you tell me, or we get to see the notes when you add comments on 'update your record'!  Your successes have all been different, but UW-P gave you something somehow...a great mentor, a degree that helped you move up in your career, a lesson (or two) in human relations, lifelong friends (or maybe even a spouse!), knowledge, insight, proficiency in foosball or basketball, and the list goes on.

Let's hope the same...and more...for all the students coming back this week!